The Arsonist's Riddle
by Brezzie
Summary: When Deidara's the newest psyciatric patient at Ino's hospital, she's stuck working with him daily, as time goes on, what will happen when she discovers deeper feelings for the boy? DeiIno


A DeiIno fic written for Castitas Lilium on Gaia online. Yah… so, here you go!

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The Arsonist's Riddle

Chapter 1.

Day 1: The Meeting

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"We really need your help on this one, Ino…"

Two girls, both doctors, walked down a barren hallway, door lining either side.

One with surprisingly bright pink hair and shocking green eyes. She was holding a clipboard and a file, and she was obviously trying to show something to the other girl.

An innocent looking girl with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, with gorgeous blue eyes. She didn't seem to be taking her friend seriously.

"Oh, please, Sakura. You've needed my help on everything lately!" Ino, the blonde, laughed.

And the pink haired girl, Sakura, didn't seem to take it lightly. "Just because you're better than me at psychology and all that crap doesn't make you better than me Ino. All you do is work with retards all day!"

Ino, who walked slightly ahead of Sakura, turned around sharply.

"Mental illness isn't always retardation, Sakura. And you say it as if it's inhuman!"

Ino yelled. When you're a pacifist, like she is, you can hardly stand for people to even talk bad about others.

"You say mental illness, more like mentally retarded, but anyways, back on track-"

Sakura handed Ino a patient's portfolio.

"Deidara?"

Ino looked at the photo. He was a gorgeous boy- beautiful blonde hair, stunning slate eyes.

"He's your new daily client. He's an arsonist, or whatever they call it these days. HE went and blew up some people. No one knows why, but there were quite a few…"

Ino looked down, hiding her sadness. How could one person stand living knowing they'd taken another's life?

"So they must've dropped al charges because of his mental instability.."

Ino flipped through the portfolio some more. "Hey, he's the same age as us. 25..." She ran over his information.

"And other than the whole arsonist thing, he appears to be perfectly normal…"

"Wait, Ino…"

Sakura cut her friend off.

"Why not leave that decision for after you meet him?"

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"Hello Deidara, how're you today?"

"…."

"My name's Ino, and I'm going to talk to you and ask you some questions today, okay?"

"…."

Ino sat down on the floor, since there was no other surface to sit on, other than the small cot at the opposite side of the room where the blonde boy was sitting, looking right through Ino and at the wall behind her. His eyes were blank and lifeless.

Now, Ino doesn't enjoy being ignored, so you can imagine how frustrating this was getting to be for her.

"So… how about we get started?"

About two hours later, Ino got up off the hard ground after a long series of one-sided questioning and conversation.

"So, Deidara. I'll be back to see you tomorrow! Have a good day!"

She smiled warmly, and turned to open the door and show herself out.

"…Unnn…"

"Wha?" Ino turned around and looked at Deidara. He was looking directly at her with a slight smile on his face. She nodded, turned back to the door, and exited the room.

Taking out a small notebook, she wrote down Deidara's progress for the day.

Day 1: Deidara.

Very little eye contact.

"Unnn…"

Ino didn't get the chance to write anymore, because a certain pink haired girl happened to find her at that moment. "So Ino, Little progress I see, and I thought your job was so easy!"

She snuck up behind Ino, looking over her shoulder.

"Unn? What the hell does that mean?"

Ino rolled her eyes at her friends' stupidity.

"It means yeah. Baka…"

Sakura scowled.

"Well, every bit counts, you know? If he progresses each day, we can-"

"HELP HIM DOWN THE HAPPY ROAD TO RECOVERY!!"

A boy, slightly younger than the girls by a year or so, who was sporting a Beetles haircut and some eyebrows that begged for a trimming. Came up behind the girls.

"I'M ROCK LEE, I STARTED WORKING HERE TODAY AND HOPE WE WILL BECOME THE BEST OF FRIENDS!!"

Ino cringed. Why was the kid yelling? He was standing right behind her!

"Lee, dear? Could you please stop yelling?"

WHY WHO IS YELLING MY YOUTHFUL COMRADE?!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. She was getting a headache already! Was there anything that could make this boy go away?

"Umm… Lee?"

"YES MA'AM?!"

"I believe they just called for you over the intercom…"

Sakura lied.

And Lee gasped. No, it wasn't a normal gasp. It was a high-pitched gasp of YOUTH!

"HOW COULD I MISS IT?! I MUST ANSWER RIGHT AWAY, LADIES!!"

He finally ran down the hall, running into three patients and two open doors on his way.

"Who the hell was that again?"

Ino visibly twitched.

"Hell if I know, but he said he's our new c-worker. He acts like he needs some Ritalin or something. Maybe he's actually a patient but he thinks he works here?"

She shook her head.

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The moment 8pm struck, Ino and Sakura were off their shift. They went and changed out of their Scrubs and into normal clothes. They had the day off tomorrow, and were going to make good use of that factor tonight!

They went up to the main desk, where Suigetsu was still on the job.

He picked up one of his cups and took a long, leisurely drink from it. He was still "working" on the computer (more like IM'ing Sasuke again) and looked up at Ino and Sakura on their way out.

"Aww, you're gonna leave me all alone?" He pouted.

"Oh, go wine to your boyfriend." Ino stuck out her tongue at him. Everyone knew he hated when people mentioned the word 'boyfriend' around him, knowing that they associated it with 'Sasuke'

"I told you already!" Suigetsu pointed a finger at Ino accusingly. "Sasuke is NOT my boyfriend! He likes me and all, but my heart belongs to someone else."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow.

"And who might that be?"

Suigetsu scoffed. "Like I'd tell you!" But look, Sasuke's asking me out. Again."

"Again," Ino laughed an looked over at the computer screen at the current IM conversation.

* * *

_**SASOOK:** I need to ask you something…_

_**SKARKBOY:** Lemme guess, "Will I go out with you?"_

_**SASOOK:** No_

_**SASOOK:** not this time…_

_**SHARKBOY:** than what?_

_**SASOOK:** Will you go out with me?_

_**SHARKBOY:** you said that wasn't it!_

_**SHARKBOY:** And no._

_**SHARKBOY:** AGAIN._

_**SASOOK:** Please?_

_**SASOOK:** Preeetty please?_

_**SHARKBOY:** Why?_

_**SASOOK:** . . ._

_**SHARKBOY: **???_

_**SASOOK:** I'm paying._

_**SHARKBOY:** Okay! What, when and where?

* * *

_

Ino and Sakura 'Ooooh'ed in unison.

"Looks like someone's going on a date!" Sakura joked. Sasuke'd been trying to get Suigetsu to date him for moths now, and he's finally getting what he wanted!

"Tell us the details tomorrow, we're going out tonight."

Ino pulled Sakura put the entrance and to the parking lot.

"We are?"

Sakura questioned, but followed her friend anyway.

"Well, I wouldn't have objected if you'd told me where we were going!" Sakura yelled to Ino over the loud music, she'd has a few too many drinks, and her speech was starting to slur. They were at "Feathers", a nice bar and club, but without the strippers. And they actually played enjoyable music. But Ino wasn't enjoying herself like she should have been.

A certain blonde haired boy kept wandering into her thoughts.

"I told him I'd be back tomorrow…" She thought out loud, "But I forgot I had the day off… should I go in anyways?"

She kept asking herself. But there was something about him that was unique, something the others didn't have.

But what was it?

She was in her right mind and quite sober. She was sitting on a bar stool drinking just plain water. She sighed and stood from her seat, gathering her inebriated friend and purse, taking them both to the car, and setting out to leave.

But Sakura was reluctant.

"Wai- wha? Where we goin?" She looked around, as if she didn't know where they were at all.

"I wanna go back! Some dude bought be a daiquiri and I didn't finish it!"

She tried to get up, but Ino made sure she stayed in the car.

"Sakura, dear. It's late. I'm taking you back home o my place, okay?" She said, with a hint of reassurance but still a stern tone to her voice.

A while later, Ino pulled up in her driveway and looked over at the passenger seat to see Sakura, fast asleep.

Ino sighed, and picked up her sleeping friend out of the car, carrying her inside. "Hopefully she won't have a horrible hangover tomorrow," She said to herself, laying Sakura on the couch and giving her a blanket and a pillow.

Ino went to bed that night, but she was still thinking about the boy. Deidara. She thought, maybe she would show up at work tomorrow, just to go see him…

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Yaaay!!

RxR!!


End file.
